Covering more than three square miles the James L. Goodwin State Forest offers recreation for every season of the year. An extensive variety of trails, including a equestrian trail and the miles-long Air Line Trail, is open from dawn until dusk, 365 days a year. The 135 acre Pine Acres Lake, and the Goodwin Conservation Center combine to make this forest an eastern Connecticut treasure.

Paugnut State Forest’s 1,702 acres spread out over four locations in north central Torrington and abut Burr Pond and Sunny Brook state parks. The main section of Paugnut totals more than 1,200 acres and is home to the 2.1 mile John Muir Trail which connects the two parks via the forest.

Special uses of Connecticut state park and forest recreation areas can be authorized by various means, up to and including a Special Use License granted by the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) seeks proposals from developers for the redevelopment, long term management and operation of Sunrise State Park, located in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Stretching across eastern Connecticut from Thompson to East Hampton, this linear trail dates from the 1870s, and today draws walkers, hikers, horseback riders and bikers from across the state for the views, the relaxation and the solitude.

Eagle Landing State Park is appropriately named for its favorite visitors. As one of CT’s newest state parks this location features 16 acres of Connecticut River frontage and a dock which hosts scenic and bird watching tours.

Farm River State Park may not rank high on the list of parks by size but it is well placed when ranked by location. Taking its headwaters to the northeast, the Farm River flows 16.5 miles on its way past the Park where visitors enjoy the sun, sights and salt air of Long Island Sound.

The Farmington Canal State Park Trail in Cheshire and Hamden forms a portion of the Farmington Canal Greenway which traverses Connecticut, north to south, from Suffield to New Haven. The State Park Trail follows the path of the Farmington Canal which served the area from 1828 to 1847.

Gardner Lake State Park is one of Connecticut’s small but important park locations in the southeastern part of the state. At only nine and three quarter acres, this park principally provides boating and recreational access to the 528 acre Gardner Lake.

Stretching across four towns, this long and narrow state park trail combines enough remarkable history, geography and aesthetics to rate its 110 acres as one of the biggest and prettiest parks in the Connecticut’s system. Originally designated as a trail for horses, for which it is still popular, Larkin’s ten miles now also serve walkers, joggers, bikers and hikers.

Windsor Meadows State Park is a unique and quiet refuge along the Connecticut River 3.5 river miles north of Hartford. Its main developed features are the Bissell Bridge Boat Launch and the entrance and terminus of the Bissell Bridge Walkway Trail. Its main undeveloped feature is its 140 acres of undeveloped Connecticut River floodplain forest.

The use of remote controlled model aircraft or “drones” is prohibited at Connecticut State Parks, State Forests or other lands under the control of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, unless specifically authorized by the Commissioner in a Special Use License.